There’s No Place Like Home
This one's for all you people who moved away to make something of yourselves and prove to everyone that you've got what it takes to live in the big city—you're home for Thanksgiving now and a terrifying thought just occurred to you: You've grown sick of your family and there aren't eight bazillion things to do every night.
Breathe. You'll get through this and we're here to help. We'll start things slow with the annual Lighting of the Plaza (6 pm Friday Nov. 24. Free. Santa Fe Plaza, 100 Old Santa Fe Trail). It's pretty, it's free and you can practically feel the holiday spirit wafting out of the colored lights. We've seen ice sculptures there, too.
Later, head up Canyon Road to El Farol where rock cover band JJ and the Hooligans performs (9 pm. $5. 808 Canyon Road, 983-9912). The place is newly renovated, has a full bar and, luckily, cover songs aren't particularly emotionally taxing. Score. At 10 am on Saturday Nov 25 and Sunday Nov. 26, the Santa Fe Woman's Club hosts its 11th annual Holiday Gift Fair (10 am-5 pm. Free. 1616 Old Pecos Trail, 983-9455), which is not just a great way to stock up for Christmas but an excuse to be on your own a few hours. Say something like, "I've just gotta run some errands, mom."
Also, on Sunday afternoon, find the high-flying antics of local circus troupe Wise Fool as its teachers and students present the annual Circus Luminous event (2 pm. $12-$45. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St., 988-1234). This thing is a Thanksgiving-time tradition and should probably keep you warm for a couple hours.
If you're a bit of a nerd, The Game Thing's weekly Monday night gathering at Second Street Brewery's Rufina Taproom (6:15 pm. Free. 2920 Rufina St., 954-1068) is a good chance to hang with your peers while you interface with some beers—just don't drive anywhere since holidays should never be about DWIs.
Of course, more options can be found on this very page, or our online calendar. (Alex De Vore)
How Glam
BJ Dewell Photography
"It's a Black Friday alternative," Zircus Erotique's Mena Domina says of the troupe's upcoming variety show at the Palace. "It's an opportunity for people to do something different with their post-holiday weekend." Zircus Erotique has, of course, been a Santa Fe mainstay since basically forever, but Domina says that there are still plenty of people out there who aren't familiar with the art form just yet. "Our shows tend to be a mix of classic burlesque—feathers and boas and glamorous gowns and beautiful women strutting their stuff onstage." It's classy, all right, and incorporates elements of striptease, Vaudeville, bellydance and comedy—it's probably not quite what you think it is. Either way, she had us at feathers. (ADV)
Zircus Erotique Burlesque and Variety Show:
9:30 pm Friday Nov. 24. $15-$25.
The Palace Saloon,
142 W Palace Ave.,
428-0690.
Hypercaffium Spazzinate
We'll go ahead and skip the requisite jokes about how people love coffee and drink just, like, so much of it in favor of posing a question: Why are we so willing to drink subpar brews? Good coffee is, after all, a luxury at this point (read: often pricey), so why shouldn't we educate ourselves a bit with those who've made the heady elixir their life's work? We're talkin' Coffee 101 from the fine folks at Iconik Coffee Roasters. This handy class is about everyday coffee preparation, and is a great way to make your mornings that much more worth it—a primer course in how to brew effectively at home. This oughta save you a few bucks in the long run, too, and take the first step to ditching garbage coffee. Like Folgers. Folgers is terrible. (ADV)
Coffee 101: Brewing Essentials:
3 pm Sunday Nov. 26. Free.
Iconik Coffee Roasters,
1600 Lena St.,
428-0996.
Vinyl Victories
This one's for the rest of us. The people who live here full-time whose family members just whirled through town, destroyed our homes and ate all our food. That was tough. But it's over now, and before we get to cleaning we'll need a drink. Obviously it's time for The Matador. They pour 'em strong, they avoid all frills (including credit cards) and they host sweet DJs like Prairiedog and Mama Goose. If the ultra-loud tones of punk, surf, rock and rockabilly in a subterranean watering hole with the stiffest drinks in town can't provide at least some soothing effects, what are you even doing with yourself? (ADV)
9 pm Tuesday Nov. 28. Free.
The Matador,
116 W San Francisco St.,
984-5050.
